ProcuraAxisBeta
Sign inCreate Free Account
Home / Opportunities / Opportunity
PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Bus Franchising in the Liverpool City Region - Category 2 Passport System

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 29 Sept 2026, 21:39.

Opportunity overview

No description was supplied with this procurement record.

Classification

  • CPV60112000 — Public road transport services
  • CPV60000000 — Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Lots

  • On 25 April 2023, LCRCA published an Assessment on Bus Franchising in the Liverpool City Region which sets out the proposed bus Franchising Scheme in accordance with the Transport Act. In October 2023, the Liverpool City Region Mayor made a Franchising Scheme covering the Liverpool City Region. Franchising is to be introduced over a number of tranches of procurement. Franchised contracts will be let in two categories: i. Category 1 franchises, which are those Franchise Agreements involving multiple services that will operate from a depot provided by LCRCA. LCRCA will provide the depot from which the services relating to the Category 1 franchise must be operated. LCRCA will predominately provide the fleet that must be used on the Category 1 franchise. ii. Category 2 franchises, which are those Franchise Agreements which either i) provide services to serve schools or ii) provide other local services. In both cases the franchises will be delivered from an operator's own depot. This notice relates to Category 2 franchises. The first tranche of Category 2 franchises are expected to relate to St Helens, Wirral and Sefton and South Liverpool. This notice relates to Category 2 franchises. Key elements of Category 2 franchises will include: Delivery of requirement: the operator of each franchise will be required to provide bus services in accordance with detailed individual franchise package specifications. Revenue risk: the operator will not be required to assume revenue risk. Revenue risk will be primarily taken by LCRCA. Depots: the operator of each franchise will be required to provide the depot(s) from which the Category 2 franchises will be operated. Buses: the operator of each franchise will primarily be responsible for providing the vehicles which will operate Category 2 franchises. Repair, maintenance and servicing of buses: the operator will be responsible for the repair, maintenance and servicing of vehicles whilst ensuring that there are in a roadworthy condition. Staff: the operator is responsible for ensuring that it has all necessary and suitably trained staff to deliver the requirement detailed in the individual franchise specifications.Value not stated

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
DN762654
Status
active
Main Procurement Category
services

Legal basis

Id
32014L0025
Scheme
CELEX

Classification

Id
60112000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Public road transport services

Submission terms

Languages

en

Submission Method

electronicSubmission

Other Requirements

Qualification System Conditions

The Qualification System for Category 2 franchises will involve different stages as described below and in the documents referred to in this notice and allows for registered and qualified suppliers to be considered for contract opportunities without further calls for competition for such contracts. 1. Passport System Stage Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has established a Passport System by which potential suppliers can apply for inclusion on the Qualification System and pre-qualify so that they can bid for Liverpool City Region Category 2 franchises. Potential suppliers who wish to apply to become a Category 2 Passport Holder are required to provide a submission in accordance with the Passport Selection Questionnaire (which contains selection questions and criteria relating to mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds and PSV Operator's Licence requirements) and should do so with reference to the Passport Process Document which provides further detail on the application process and the criteria and requirements. These documents can be found on the Pro-Contract E-Tendering portal The Chest (https://www.the-chest.org.uk/) and responses must be uploaded to the Pro-Contract e-tendering portal. A potential Supplier wishing to participate in a particular Liverpool City Region Category 2 Bus Franchise competition must have submitted an application to join the Category 2 Passport System on or before the relevant date for each tranche. The relevant dates for each tranche are in the process of being finalised, but the indicative date for tranche 1 is set out below: • Tranche 1: Currently anticipated for 31st July 2025, 11:00am - this date is subject to change and further details will be released in advance of this. 2. Franchise Expression of Interest (EOI) Stage LCRCA will issue to those Potential Suppliers which have successfully qualified in the Passport System stage and have become a "Category 2 Passport Holder", (ie, have met all of the necessary criteria stated in the PSQ and supporting documents) a franchise specific EOI as a further qualification process to determine those to be invited to negotiate. Further qualification criteria in the EOI will relate to economic and financial standing and technical and professional ability. Responses to a franchise specific EOI will be evaluated in accordance with the qualification criteria as specified in the relevant franchise specific EOI. 3. Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Stage An ITN will be issued to those Category 2 Passport Holders that have successfully met the requirements of the franchise specific EOI (with the qualification criteria being specified in the franchise specific EOI).

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
active
Description
On 25 April 2023, LCRCA published an Assessment on Bus Franchising in the Liverpool City Region which sets out the proposed bus Franchising Scheme in accordance with the Transport Act. In October 2023, the Liverpool City Region Mayor made a Franchising Scheme covering the Liverpool City Region. Franchising is to be introduced over a number of tranches of procurement. Franchised contracts will be let in two categories: i. Category 1 franchises, which are those Franchise Agreements involving multiple services that will operate from a depot provided by LCRCA. LCRCA will provide the depot from which the services relating to the Category 1 franchise must be operated. LCRCA will predominately provide the fleet that must be used on the Category 1 franchise. ii. Category 2 franchises, which are those Franchise Agreements which either i) provide services to serve schools or ii) provide other local services. In both cases the franchises will be delivered from an operator's own depot. This notice relates to Category 2 franchises. The first tranche of Category 2 franchises are expected to relate to St Helens, Wirral and Sefton and South Liverpool. This notice relates to Category 2 franchises. Key elements of Category 2 franchises will include: Delivery of requirement: the operator of each franchise will be required to provide bus services in accordance with detailed individual franchise package specifications. Revenue risk: the operator will not be required to assume revenue risk. Revenue risk will be primarily taken by LCRCA. Depots: the operator of each franchise will be required to provide the depot(s) from which the Category 2 franchises will be operated. Buses: the operator of each franchise will primarily be responsible for providing the vehicles which will operate Category 2 franchises. Repair, maintenance and servicing of buses: the operator will be responsible for the repair, maintenance and servicing of vehicles whilst ensuring that there are in a roadworthy condition. Staff: the operator is responsible for ensuring that it has all necessary and suitably trained staff to deliver the requirement detailed in the individual franchise specifications.

Contract period

Ends
23 Feb 2029, 23:59
Starts
11 Feb 2025, 00:00

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKD7

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
60000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-137437
Name
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Roles

buyer

Address

Region
UKD7
Locality
Liverpool
Postal Code
L31BP
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
No 1 Mann Island

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
TED_CE_ACTIVITY
Description
Public Transport

Identifier

Legal Name
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
No Identifier Rationale
notOnAnyRegister

Contact

Name
Procurement Team
Organisation 2
Id
GB-FTS-24820
Name
The High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Roles

reviewBody

Address

Locality
London
Postal Code
WC2A 2LL
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
The Strand

Identifier

Legal Name
The High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Liverpool · UKD7 · L31BP · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKD7

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-04dd40-2025-02-10T13:27:51Zcompiled ·